


We March Along

by DowntimeDrabbles



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: (for now) - Freeform, Angst, Avengers as family, Daddy Issues, Fluff, Gen, Happy is the best uncle, Hurt Peter, Iron Dad, May and Ben die in the Battle of NY, Nat is a great aunt, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Pretty much an MCU rewrite where Peter is Tony’s son, Steve Bruce Thor and Clint are great uncles, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Tony is Doing His Best, tony is Peter’s dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-08-02 05:12:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16298786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DowntimeDrabbles/pseuds/DowntimeDrabbles
Summary: He swears he will do everything he can to protect his son without ruining him in the process.OrTony Stark believes that the best way to protect his son is to stay out of his life. His plan works for 7 years, until the kid loses all of his family and Tony has to step up and become a dad.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve had this story planned for over a year now, but with College and A-Levels I just couldn’t sit down to write it. Now I can!
> 
> So there’s a few things I need to explain before you read this. Mary is a biological Parker, Mary and Ben are siblings. She and Richard never marry, but they were together before Mary met Tony, and got back together after Peter was born. 
> 
> Avengers Assemble takes place in 2009, meaning Homecoming’s “8 years later” titlecard makes sense. IM2, Captain America, Incredible Hulk and Thor all happens in early 2009 - the Nick Fury’s big week theory. 
> 
> Title is from the song Father to Son from Falsettos (one of my favourite musicals)

**September 2002**

The first time he met Peter, the boy was only a month old, wrapped in a spotted blanket in his mother's arms. Tony sat across from them, trying to focus his eyes on anything but the infant. He couldn't count the amount of times women had claimed that he was the father of their child, usually seeking money or fame.

This was different.

Firstly, the woman sitting opposite him had made it clear that she didn't want any money, she simply thought that Tony had a right to meet his son.

Secondly, this was the only time the DNA test had come back positive.

He'd thought long and hard about what decision to make regarding the child - his child - after receiving the test results. And despite desperately wanting to hold his son close to him and watch him grow up, he knew there was no way that could happen.

"Tony, if you want to be a part of his life then I'm sure we can work something out," the soft voice of Mary Parker infiltrates his thoughts, "Obviously there are a few things that will need to change but I'm not going to stop you from seeing him." The young woman speaks quietly, so not to wake the sleeping baby, she’s already adjusted to motherhood after only four weeks.

_Mary had been so very different to his usual flings. She'd looked out of place in the hotel bar's environment - the way she held herself expressed a sense of reservation and respect that most women there didn't have. She didn't throw herself at Tony - the opposite actually. As he slid into the seat next to her, enthralled in the way the ends of her dark hair curled around her ears, she leant away from him._

_"How is somebody so beautiful sat here by herself?" He'd asked, fingers dancing their way across her knee. She'd tensed._

_"My friend bought me here to cheer me up, but she's left with one of your billionaire friends I suppose, she never has had much self control." Her voice was sweet and sophisticated, she pulled his hand away from her leg, "I know what you're doing Tony Stark, and I won't fall for it. I'm not the kind of woman to throw herself at any man who comes along flashing a couple hundred dollars."_

_"What about a couple thousand?" The pointed stare he received in response put a genuine smile on his face. "Well okay then, ma'am, how about I buy you a drink and you tell me all the reasons you need cheering up, since my friend apparently stole your friend?"_

_"And why would you want to hear about my problems?"_

_"To make me feel better about my own."_

_The side of her lips lifted into a half smile, she nodded. "Well I suppose I have to then. I'm Mary by the way, Mary Parker."_

_He shook her hand, "I'm Tony, although you seem to know that already, Miss Parker."_

After one drink, Mary was telling Tony all about the messy breakup she'd had recently with her long-term boyfriend Richard, and how her parents had disagreed with how she had handled the situation, causing an argument between her family and now they were ignoring each other despite Thanksgiving being only a week away. After a few more drinks, both Mary and Tony had been drunk enough to think that getting a hotel room was a good idea, and drunk enough to forget about protection.

10 months later and here they were, with a baby the result of their drunken escapades.

"Tony? Did you hear me?"

He looks up. Mary's bright eyes are looking right at him.

"Mary, you have to believe me when I say that I'm not making excuses, but I really don't think I'm suitable to be a father. I mean, _look_ at me. Look at my life! I can't... I can't just throw everything away, and as much as I'd love to say that you and him could slot in perfectly, you just wouldn't. The press would be obsessed, everyone would have an opinion and I... I just can't do that to you." He finishes, finally meeting Mary's eyes, which he refuses to believe hold a hint of disappointment.

As if sensing the awkward atmosphere, the baby begins fussing, reaching his tiny hand up towards his mother, Tony feels his heart skip a beat.

Mary calms him quickly and naturally, smiling down as her son stares up at her. She looks to Tony again, "Do you want to hold him?”

"I... Mary I just told you-"

"I know. I know what you said and I respect that, but I think that you'll regret it if you don't hold him." She stands, stepping towards him and adjusting the baby in her arms.

Holding his arms out in a reserved manner, Tony stiffens as Mary places the baby in his arms, his tiny head cradled in the crook of Tony’s left elbow.

Mary sits back in her seat, talking to Tony about… something. The billionaire is too busy staring at the infant to comprehend what Mary is telling him.

The boy’s eyes are open wide, blinking as he looks up at Tony, mouth opening and closing softly, tongue pushing the pacifier out of his mouth.

His resemblance to Mary is clear, one glance at the baby and you can see her in his soft brown curls and chubby cheeks. But looking closer at the him, Tony sees someone else - his mother. People had always said that he looked more like Maria than Howard, clearly his son had inherited that. There are whispers of her - the complexion of his skin, shape of his eyes - and Tony can feel his heart going back on everything he’s just said to Mary.

Suddenly he can imagine a life with his son in it. He can picture this boy’s first words and steps, his first day of school - and the kid will obviously be a genius. He can imagine sitting and helping him build projects for science fairs, how proud he would be seeing his son with a medal hanging around his neck because he'd won first place.

He wants to be in his life. He wants to be there to watch this boy grow up. He wants to be his dad.

“What, um, what's his name?” Tony asks.

“Peter Benjamin.” Mary replies, smiling gently as Tony nods, glancing up for half a second before looking back down at his son. “I’ve always loved the name Peter, I knew from a young age that if I ever had a son I’d call him Peter. Benjamin, that’s my brother’s name. He’s amazing, he helped me pay for all of my medical bills. He and his fiancé stay with me to help with Peter sometimes.”

_Peter_. Tony has a son and his name is Peter. The man smiles involuntarily, he can imagine calling that name through the house, writing that name on cards and gifts.

But he can also picture that name being written across headlines. He can imagine newspapers documenting everything that his son does. He can imagine Peter crying because the paparazzi followed him home from school, just as he did when he was younger. He can imagine arguments with Mary because of the vulnerable position he’s putting their son in, just as he remembers his own parents doing. He can imagine himself blowing Peter off because he has a party or a meeting. He can imagine Peter watching with innocent eyes as Tony loses himself in a bottle.

He can imagine himself becoming his father.

He doesn't want that. Tony knows that if he lets Mary and Peter into his life, history will repeat itself and he’ll turn into Howard, and Peter will turn into Tony. Tony can't do that. He can't inflict the horrible upbringing that he had on his son. On the innocent baby that is staring up at him so sweetly.

Peter reaches up, untangling his tiny arm from the blanket and wrapping his delicate fingers around Tony’s finger.

“Hey Buddy.” Tony whispers, running his thumb against the soft skin of Peter’s hand.

The baby wriggles in Tony’s hold and makes adorable little noises, he pushes the pacifier out of his mouth with his tongue, then opens his mouth wide and flicks his eyes about looking for where it went. Tony laughs softly and picks it up from where it's fell to Peter’s chest.

“There you go Kiddo.” He says, pushing it back into Peter’s mouth. The baby gives a hint of a smile around the pacifier and closes his eyes, sucking greedily on the pacifier whilst falling back to sleep.

And Tony knows.

He knows that he can't be in this boy’s life, because he will ruin him.

He looks up at Mary, a look of helplessness in his eyes.

“I-I’m sorry… I want- I just… I can't.” He whispers, as if saying the words louder is a crime. Mary smiles at him, sympathy written across her delicate features.

“If you change your mind let me know, this is my email and my phone number,” the woman quickly scribbles on a piece of paper and places it on the coffee table, “I can send you pictures and tell you about him if you’d like?”

Tony nods, looking back down at Peter who had fallen asleep.

“I’ll set up a savings account.”

“Tony I don't want money-”

“Listen, he's my son, it doesn't matter what happens now, he's still my son, so I'm going to set up an account which he can access when he's older, and I'll pay for his schooling, college, and if you ever need money for school trips or clothes or food or anything, just tell me.”

“Tony-”

“Mary please, let me do this.” He looks desperate and he knows it, but he has to do this. He won't be deadbeat. He's not going to be in Peter’s life because that is truly what’s best for Peter, but he will do everything he can to protect and care for his son without ruining him in the process.

Before Mary leaves, Tony holds Peter a little tighter, taking every little detail - the weight of him in his arms, the sounds he makes, the way he smells, how soft his skin is.

As he watches Mary leave, pushing the pram down the hallway, he realises that he's waving goodbye to the best thing that's ever happened to him. Nothing will ever be as important or beautiful as his son, and that thought alone almost makes him open a bottle.

Instead he goes to his computer. First he sets up a private folder that is as protected as it can possibly be, for him to store all emails from Mary and pictures of Peter in. Then he sets up a bank account in Peter’s name, that Mary has access to and sets up a decent amount to be transferred every month.

Hours later, the sun has set and Tony’s just about to pour himself a drink, but then his computer pings and he sees an email from Mary.

_I took this photo earlier, I did warn you that I was taking it but I don't think you heard me. Remember if you ever change your mind about seeing him you can tell me._

Attached is a picture of Tony holding Peter, smiling down at the baby who is looking up at his father.

Tony saves the photo, making sure nobody else can access it, before taking a sip of his drink as the first of many tears fall.


	2. Everything Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist on the verge of a breakdown in a paediatric ward hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Avengers Assemble takes place in 2009, meaning Homecoming’s “8 years later” titlecard makes sense. IM2, Captain America, Incredible Hulk and Thor all happens in early 2009 - the Nick Fury’s big week theory.

**July 2009** ****  
  
_What am I doing?_  
  
Tony’s hand hovers over the door handle, hesitant to enter and turn his life upside down. There’s no going back after he steps into this room.  
  
“Tony, you need to go in.” Happy says, watching him closely.  
  
“I can’t do this to him Hap. I can’t- I’m not ready for this.” The billionaire sighs, hand falling away, stepping back into the hallway and collapsing into a rickety chair facing the door.  
  
Head in his hands, he tries to calm his breathing before a panic attack can take full hold. He closes his eyes before opening them again because it’s too dark, too much like going through that wormhole.  **  
**

Too much like dying.  
  
3 deep breaths and he’s trying to remember the last time he slept. He didn’t sleep the night before the attack, and when he’d returned to the tower after eating with the team, he’d been too terrified to sleep. So he’d busied himself in his lab with ways to protect the earth from another extra-terrestrial attack.  
  
Just when he’d felt exhausted enough to pass out without dreaming, the alarm had sounded. His first thought was to grab a gauntlet and prepare for another battle, until he realised that this was the alarm that he’d only heard once before, when Richard and Mary Parker had died. This told him that there was an emergency regarding his kid.  
  
15 hours of rushed agreements with Pepper, meetings with his lawyers, conversations with CPS, proofs of identity and DNA tests lead up to here and now.  
  
A genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist on the verge of a breakdown in a paediatric ward hallway.  
  
The light changes and he soon realises that Happy is crouched in front of him, blocking the white bulb from burning his eyes any longer.  
  
“You’re never going to be ready until you try, Tony. You _have_ to do this, you’re all he has left. Without you he’ll be chewed up and spat out of the foster system, left to fend for himself in a world that doesn’t care.”  
  
Staring at a scuff mark on the ground, Tony thinks. Growing up, would he rather have had nobody instead of the poor excuse for a father that he had? 

Taking a deep breath, Tony steps forward and reaches for the door, almost laughing at the fact that this is the hardest thing he’s had to do this week, and considering the week he’s had...  
  
The door opens slowly, a slight creak indicating that the hinges could do with tightening.  
  
The room is different. Everything isn’t so artificial. The walls are a soft blue instead of white, and the fish swimming across them makes him realise just how far this is from normality.  
  
His eyes finally cross to the bed, and he feels his world shift.  
  
Everything blurs, except for the figure on the bed. His whole mind centres in on the little boy with messy brown curls sitting atop his head.  
  
The boy has the tattered ear of a worn teddy bear pressed against the pale skin of his nose, clutching the toy protectively against his lower face and chest.  
  
Something stirs in Tony’s chest, a primal instinct to protect this kid. To protect his son.  
  
“Hi Peter.” The words are spoken softly, anything louder would seem out of place in such a childish room.  
  
Big brown eyes, red around the edges, filled with tears, stare up at him, just as they did 7 years ago.  
  
It’s 7pm on Saturday. It’s been over 24 hours since the attack. Over 24 hours since Peter had been found and taken to hospital. The child had been alone in the hospital for over 24 hours, his only known family dead. Tony feels sick at the thought.  
  
Peter holds the teddy tighter, whilst scanning both Tony and Happy up and down, a look of confusion shading his face.  
  
“Wha- what… I don’t… Mr Tony Stark? Wh-why are you here?” His voice is quiet, shaky with the tears he’s trying to hold back.  
  
“I.. um… I’m going to look after you. The doctor said you’ve got to get a little bit better before we can leave, but by tomorrow hopefully I can take you home.”  
  
“I can go home?” His glassy eyes light up, the thought of his own house, his aunt and uncle, lifting his spirits. Tony feels like a monster for having to crush them again.  
  
“Not, um… to my house, where I’m going to look after you.” Well done Tony. A genius who’s forgotten how to speak. One of the things he’s known for is his ability to talk. Yet when it’s most important he finds himself tongue-tied, unable to form a coherent sentence. “Is that okay, Peter?”  
  
The kid looks him in the eye, Tony sees something tragic in them that he’s never seen in anybody this young. They start to become cloudy, as more tears swim across.  
  
“I want to go home.”  
  
“Peter-”  
  
“I want to go _home_.” His little voice cracks, a tear runs down his freckled cheek and that's all it takes for the kid to break. More tears fall before the previous have a chance to dry, he’s gasping to catch his breath, he clutches his knees to his chest and his toy rabbit to his face.  
  
Tony steps towards him, hand out in front of him, “I know Kiddo…”  
  
Peter buries his face in his knees, crying harder and ignoring everybody in the room.  
  
“I want May and Ben! I want to go home!” 

**~~~**

“Tony don't be an idiot.”  
  
“I’m not! He doesn't want me. Why would he? I’m a shitty superhero who couldn't even save his aunt and uncle.” He’s digging his nails into his palm. It’s a way of grounding himself. A way of punishing himself for failing so massively.  
  
“Tony, he’s just lost his second set of parents. He’s a little kid who’s been left alone in a hospital, upset and scared because there's nobody left to look after him. Then all of a sudden Tony Stark - billionaire celebrity and superhero turns up to look after him. No wonder the kid reacted like he did.”  
  
Tony wonders for a moment when Happy got so good with words, he’s been speaking like a poet all night. Dragging his thoughts back to reality, Tony supposes what the other man said makes sense. In fact he realises now that a distraught 6 -almost 7 - year old can't exactly be expected to act in any way that makes sense. They’re sat whispering in the corner of the room, the lights dimmed as Peter sleeps off the breakdown he’d had earlier. Tony looks over at the kid, he looks a lot more peaceful now than earlier.  

“Besides,” Happy adds, “I’m pretty sure under any other circumstances the kid would be jumping at the chance to hang out with Iron Man.”  
  
“Oh yeah? What gives you that idea?”  
  
“His arm.”  
  
“His broken arm means that he’s an Iron Man fan?”  
  
“No his other arm.” Both men look over at Peter’s left arm, the one not in a cast, and Happy nods at the transferable Iron Man tattoo just above his elbow.  
  
“Well after what’s happened I think I’ll fall from the top spot.”  


**~~~**

“Shall I get him or...”

  
“I’ve got him.” Tony mumbles, opening the car door and picking the 6 year old up. He’s asleep, has been for most of the journey to the tower. His head rests on Tony’s shoulder, arms also hanging over, legs wrapped loosely around Tony’s waist.  
  
With Happy trailing behind with a bag of Peter’s medication from the hospital, Tony makes his way to the private elevator in the back corner of the Tower’s reception. The kid’s breaths are tickling his ear, and he wonders for a moment whether his back will be mad at him for carrying the kid tomorrow. But for now he doesn’t care. It’s 11pm and he’s not selfish enough to wake the kid up and make him walk to spare his back.  
  
Tony still feels like he’s dreaming, has since he first stepped foot in Peter’s hospital room yesterday. The doctors had said he’d be ready for discharge at 5pm, but by the time they’d gotten all of the papers signed, and Peter to calm down, it had been late. It’s surreal to think that this is his life now - he has a kid. He swears he’ll wake up any moment, alarm screaming and life back to normal - with aliens invading but no children in his custody.  
  
“Which room are you giving him?” Happy asks as he steps out into the penthouse.  
  
“The one next to mine for tonight. If he’s feeling up to it tomorrow we’ll go to his apartment and get his stuff, then he can choose which room he wants.” They stop walking as they reach the lounge, seeing Steve sat on one of the sofas reading. He looks up, eyes flickering over both Happy and Tony before settling on Peter, his eyebrow quirking.  
  
“Did Pepper fill you in?” Tony asks, shifting the kid slightly in his hold.  
  
“A little, she didn’t say much though, she was pretty manic.”  
  
Tony nods, it makes sense. Pepper had to organise everything in a few hours, all Tony did was make the kid have a breakdown.  
  
“I’m gonna put him to bed, then we’ll talk.”  
  
Happy’s already in the spare room by the time Tony gets there. The covers are pulled back and Tony puts the kid down.  
  
“He looks so small.” He whispers, pulling the covers up and tucking the boy in.  
  
“It _is_ a king size bed.” Happy laughs, Tony shoots him an exasperated eyebrow raise. ** **  
****

He wonders if the kid will sleep well. He’s exhausted, that’s for sure, but he’s also a child who’s been through a very traumatic couple of days. He’ll probably wake up in the night, probably from a nightmare.  ****  
** **

Will he come and wake Tony up? Or will he sit and cry alone in the darkness? Tony’s not used to this, not ready for this, he’s not attentive enough - he won't _know_. Parents always say that they know when there’s something wrong with their kid, but Tony _never has._  He couldn’t feel it after the battle. He went for food whilst his kid was buried under rubble in the street with the bodies of his family and _he never felt it_.  ****  
** **

_I’m not good enough, I’m not ready, I’m not ready, I can’t do this-_ ****  
** **

“Tony!” Hands grasp his shoulders, a sharp whisper cuts through his bullying thoughts. He gasps in a breath, how long had he gone without taking one? “Are you okay? You’ve been freaking out for like 5 minutes.” _  
_

“Yeah, yeah I’m… I’m fine, I’m just worried that he’ll wake up in the night. I'll get JARVIS to watch him,” He runs a hand through his greasy hair, “Do you hear that JARVIS? You let me know as soon as Peter wakes up.” ****  
** **

“Of course, Sir.” The artificial voice in the walls replies.  ****  
** **

“I’m gonna go, it’s been a long day. You gonna be alright?” Happy’s face holds concern, it makes Tony feel sick. ****  
** **

“I’ll be fine, just gonna say goodnight to Peter and then I’ll fill Steve in and head to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.” ****  
** **

The larger man nods once, before exiting the room. Tony settles his eyes on Peter again, perching on the edge of the bed, thinking about the fact that this is his first night with his son. Is this how parents feel when they bring their baby home for the first time? He supposes they feel more excited about it. All Tony feels is anxious, terrified and sick to his stomach.  ****  
** **

“Good night, Peter.” He whispers, running his fingers gently through the little boy’s curls, tucking his teddy bear under his arm a little more securely and smoothing out the covers, before leaving the room quietly.  ****  
** **

****~~~** **

Heading back to the lounge, he wonders if life will be like he’s imagined. Sometimes, when he allows himself to daydream, he imagines Peter in his life. They’re always happy, sunshine filled daydreams, filling him with joy and regret. Now all he feels is terror, he hopes that’s not foreshadowing the future.

Reaching the lounge, he notes that Clint has joined Steve, and they’re both looking at him expectantly.  ****  
** **

“When did you get here, Birdbrain?” ****  
** **

“Well I was heading to bed, but I heard we were trading stories around the campfire, and this is one story I _really_ want to hear.” The archer leans forward, taking a sip of water. Steve hits him lightly on the arm, ****  
** **

_Have some respect,_ he mouths. ****  
** **

Tony tells them everything. Tells them about meeting Mary, finding out about her pregnancy and the DNA tests after the baby was born. The thoughts and feelings Tony had at the prospect of fatherhood. Meeting Peter, looking into his eyes… ****  
** **

“Holding him in my arms, him looking up at me, I could feel my heart going back on everything I’d said. I was so close to telling Mary that I’d be there.” Tony admits, he laughs a little, “He kept using his tongue to push his pacifier out, and every time I put it back in his mouth he’d push it out again, and he was smiling. It was like a game. All I wanted was for that moment to last forever, to watch him grow up.” ****  
** **

“Why didn’t you?” Clint asks, curiously. Tony doesn’t take it in a rude way, he understands the question - he asks himself the same one everyday. ****  
** **

“My dad. All I could think was that I’d end up like him, and I couldn’t do that to Peter.”  ****  
** **

“I knew your dad.” Steve says, Tony almost laughs. ****  
** **

“Oh trust me, I know. It’s all I heard about. The great Steve Rogers. He was obsessed with finding you, I don’t think he ever gave up, even years later when your corpse would be completely decomposed. Jesus, if he could see me now, sat opposite you. It’d probably be the only time he’s ever been proud of me.” He lets out a humourless laugh and leans back, rubbing his hand over his eyes. He needs a drink. ****  
** **

“When I knew him, he was a great man.” Steve replies quietly. ****  
** **

“Oh I don’t doubt it - he was a genius. Shame he was such a shit father.” ****  
** **

“I can drink to that!” Clint laughs, throwing back his head, “Daddy issues, aren’t they great? You got any Rogers?” ****  
** **

“I never knew my dad. He died in the war before I was born.” Tony looks up, he hadn’t know that. In fact he didn't know a lot about Steve, other than the patriarchal bullshit his father had spouted when he was a kid.  ****  
** **

“You were spared then.” Clint nods, Steve shoots a glare at him, before softening his gaze to Tony.  ****  
** **

“I’m sorry, I only knew him before you were born, before he was with your mother in fact. But he didn’t strike me as the fatherly type.” ****  
** **

_Wow Rogers_ , Tony thinks, _that’s the understatement of the century_ . ****  
** **

“So… yeah. I wanted to spare Peter from having a shit dad, but with what’s happened I don’t have much of a choice, not that I haven’t dreamed of it for the last 7 years.” ****  
** **

“What _did_ happen? Why have you got him now?” Clint questions. ****  
** **

“Mary and her husband Richard died when Peter was 3. Mary’s brother Ben and his wife May adopted him. They were out in Manhattan the day of the attack, which is shit luck because they live in Queens - they would have been _safe_ in Queens. I don’t know exactly what happened without asking the Kid but the paramedics found them under a pile of rubble at about 6 that night, so they’d been there a few hours. His aunt and uncle were dead, he was in his uncle’s arms. The doctor said that he was conscious but incoherent, he wouldn’t let go of his uncle apparently. His arm’s broken, he’s got a mild concussion and the smoke and dust has made his asthma a bit more sensitive, but he was quite lucky, physically. I don’t doubt he’s completely messed up on the inside though, I’ll probably get him a therapist.” Tony finishes. Clint and Steve’s faces are painted with horror.  ****  
** **

“Jesus, Tony. Is he okay?” Steve asks. ****  
** **

“Had a bit of a meltdown at the hospital. I haven’t told him yet, about being his dad and all.” ****  
** **

“How’re _you_ feeling about that?” Clint chimes in. Tony’s shocked, he’s not used to people asking about _his_ feelings. ****  
** **

“I’m terrified. I just don’t think I’m ready for all of this.” ****  
** **

“No parent ever is.” Clint laughs, “You can read all of the books, buy all of the gadgets and you’ll be just as unprepared as someone who didn’t even know they were having a kid.”  ****  
** **

“And how would you know that, Birdy?” Tony asks, both he and Steve have their heads tilted, confused by Clint’s words. ****  
** **

“My brother has kids, he told me when he had his eldest that he’d never felt so clueless in his life. Parenting is all trial and error, you drop them, you make them cry, you forget to feed them. But you learn as you go.” ****  
** **

“Your brother forgot to feed his kids?” Steve laughs. ****  
** **

“Only, like, once! The kid was like 3 months old and he’d been crying for hours, when he finally fell asleep my brother and his wife just passed out, then when they woke up they realised they hadn’t fed him before he’d fallen asleep. He was fine, and he’s fine now! Didn’t hurt him!” The archer is strangely defensive over the whole situation, “I’m not saying you should forget to feed your kid though, Stark.” ****  
** **

And despite everything that’s happened in the last week, Tony laughs. It’s desperate, exhausted, but it feels better than the knot of anxiety that’s been pulled tight in his chest all day.  ****  
** **

“I’m gonna head to bed, see if I can actually sleep before the kid wakes up. I’m sure I’m gonna need it for tomorrow.” He stands, stretching his legs. It’s 1am now. He can at least squeeze in a couple of hours. “Thanks for letting me dump all my shit on you guys.” ****  
** **

“Don’t thank us Tony, we’re always here to listen. And if you need any help at all just let us know.” Steve smiles softly at him, and Tony never thought he’d actually appreciate Captain America’s existence. He grew up in the guy’s shadow, he hated him as a kid. Now he was considering him a friend. ****  
** **

“And I’m a _great_ babysitter!” Clint winks, the other 2 men shoot him confused looks again, before Tony shakes his head with a smile and turns to leave. ****  
** **

Before entering his room, Tony pushes open the door to the spare room that Peter’s occupying. Ducking his head in, Tony can see that the kid is still sleeping under the soft glow of the lamp. He’s curled onto his side, tangled in the covers, thumb in his mouth. Tony wonders for a second whether kids of Peter’s age should still be sucking their thumb, but he figures that he can tackle that problem when the kid’s feeling a little better. ****  
** **

“Sweet dreams, Kiddie.” He whispers, closing the door again and entering his own room. He changes out of his clothes lethargically, throwing on some old sweatpants and a vest. ****  
** **

His head hits the pillow, but his brain is still ticking. He’s starting to settle, and his brain is almost completely silent except for the mantra that it’s been chanting for hours.  ****  
** **

_Not ready not ready not ready not ready not ready not ready_ … ****  
** **

It’s that mantra which lulls him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and thank you to everybody who left such lovely comments on the prologue!  
> Tumblr: totallyaverageteen


	3. What Love Makes Us Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry that I haven't updated this since October. I love this story but I've had no motivation to write. I know what I want to write, I have it all planned in my head, but sometimes it's really difficult to get that down on paper. I've also struggled to find time to write. I work full time in an office, so after staring at a computer all day at work, I try not to at home, plus my head just hasn't been in the right place for writing. However I'm gonna try harder now - also I've passed my driving theory so I don't need to study for that in the evenings anymore.

_“Uncle Ben I’m scared!”_  
  
_“Don’t… don’t be scared. I’ve got you, Pete, you’re safe.” His uncle squeezes his hand tighter._  
  
_“My arm hurts!” He cries, the limb is throbbing, feeling like it’s on fire. The rubble pressing down on them is making it worse. His head is foggy, and he keeps forgetting how to say what he wants to say. There’s dust in his throat, making his breathing raspy and wheezy. He needs his inhaler – Aunt May would have forced him to take it as soon as he’d let out one strained breath._  
  
_But Aunt May is too far away, if he stretches out his arm he can almost touch her with the tip of his fingers, but she won’t wake up, even when he screams at her._  
  
_“Ben, I can’t breathe.” He gasps._  
  
_“You need your inhaler, it’s in my pocket,” Uncle Ben shifts, trying to reach his pocket, but he groans, before crying out in pain. Peter whimpers, he’s never heard his uncle make a noise like that. Uncle Ben’s invincible, it’s wrong to hear him in pain. “I-I c-can’t reach it, Pete.” Ben sounds sad, Peter cries more._  
  
_It’s quiet for a while, Ben’s laying flat on his back, Peter’s half laying across his chest, face resting sideways on Ben’s left shoulder. He can feel his uncle breathing. If he closes his eyes he can almost pretend that they’re on the sofa at home- watching a film as Peter falls asleep in his Uncle’s arms. But there’s stone and metal pressing down on his back, and Uncle Ben’s arms are getting looser around him, and Aunt May won’t wake up._  
  
_“What’s wrong with Aunt May? Why won't she wake up?”_  
  
_“Don’t worry Bud, she’s resting.” His uncle’s breath is raspy now too. They both need an inhaler. “Peter, I love you so much, okay? Don’t you forget that Kiddo. Your aunt and I are so proud of you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to us.” His left arm slips, falling from Peter’s back and onto the ground._  
  
_“I love you too, Uncle Ben.”_  
  
_“Never forget how much we love you, Kiddo. You’re so strong, you’re gonna be… y-you’re gonna be okay.” His right arm becomes loose too, laying heavily across Peter’s back._  
  
_“Uncle Ben?” Peter whispers, Ben’s chest is still, no longer moving with his breathes. He’s resting too. “Uncle Ben! May… Ben.. Wake up!” It’s almost silent now - the rubble he’s buried under makes it so he can only hear muffled sounds from the street. It’s scary, how quiet it is. Aunt May and Uncle Ben are completely silent. He can hear his own shaky, wheezing breaths, can feel the sticky heat of the confined space._

_He’s not sure how long he lays there, crying into his uncle's still chest, before he starts screaming._  
  
_2 streets over, the Avengers are sat together, eating a meal after saving the world. Unaware of the child trapped alone under rubble._  
  
~~~  
  
Waking up slowly, Peter has a few moments of confusion before memories of the previous few days flood his thoughts. Lunch out with May and Ben - a reward for winning a science competition he’d entered. People screaming, buildings falling, stone and metal pressing down on them, sitting alone in the hospital.  
  
Tony Stark taking him home.  
  
A brief glance around the room tells him that the last point definitely wasn’t a dream. His own bedroom is small and cluttered, with a single pane window in the corner, only letting a bit of daylight in. This room is huge and sparse, one wall coated in black out blinds.   
  
Climbing hastily out of the king sized bed, Peter drags his feet over to the wall of blinds, looking for a cord or something to open them.  
  
“Would you like me to open the blinds, Mr Parker?” The voice comes from an English man, despite the fact that there’s nobody in the room with him. Maybe Mr Stark has cameras watching him.

“Um.... y-yes please, Sir.” He replies hesitantly, eyes blown wide as the blinds begin to lift by themselves. “Woah.” He whispers.  
  
The whole wall is glass - floor to ceiling windows giving Peter the perfect view of Manhattan. He steps forward, pressing his hands and face against the glass.  
  
He’s only ever seen the skyline from a distance - sometimes he and Ben take the telescope up onto the roof of their apartment building, watching the sunset over Manhattan in the distance, before looking at planets and constellations until May calls them for dinner.  
  
But he’s never been this close.

Ben and May promised to take him up the empire state building on his birthday, so that he can see the view that many dream of. Peter supposes there’ll be no reason to go now, since he can see it all from this window.

If he looks closely enough he can see whispers of the last few days. The buildings have cracks running down the walls, windows are smashed. The streets below still look messy, traffic building up as many roads are still closed.

He doesn't want to be here. He wants to be at home, in his small bedroom. Where the window looks out onto the brick wall of the next building, letting a slither of light in which barely brightens the room. He’s always wanted to see New York from this perspective, but he wants to see it with his Aunt and Uncle - he wants to go home after he’s seen it. He doesn't like how bright it is, how high up it is. ****  
** **

Maybe Mr Stark will take him home if he gets himself ready.  ****  
** **

He spots his clothes from the previous day folded up on an armchair in the corner, so he quickly throws them on, struggling slightly to manoeuvre his broken arm through his T-shirt.  ****  
** **

He doesn’t have anything else with him, other than his teddy, so he grabs Terrance the Teddy and opens the door, staring up in awe at the hall’s high ceilings and hanging lights. He doesn’t know where Mr Stark is, but he makes his way to the lounge, assuming he’ll find somebody there.  ****  
** **

The lounge is huge and open plan. One wall is fully windows, like in the bedroom, with a long glass table running parallel. Across the other side of the room is a huge black sofa facing a TV screen that looks bigger than what Peter’s seen at the cinema. ****  
** **

Peter’s stood next to the kitchen area, he cranes his head up to look at the huge glass chandelier hanging above him.  ****  
** **

Peter’s not stupid - he knows everything here is more expensive than anything his family owns.  ****  
** **

“We’ll just sit and wait.” He whispers to Terrance. May and Ben don’t have the money to pay Mr Stark if he breaks anything. ****  
** **

The sofa is comfier than anything he’s ever sat on before. Ben and May’s sofa is old and lumpy, and the fabric has worn so much that its scratchy in some places. The leather of this is cool and smooth, with so much cushioning that he bounces as he sits down. ****  
** **

He can’t be sat down for longer than a minute before he hears footsteps and sees Mr Stark appear in the huge open space. ****  
** **

“You’re up early.” The man comments, pulling a hoodie on over his t-shirt.  ****  
** **

Peter pulls Terrance closer to his chest, suddenly feeling vulnerable under the gaze of such an important figure. He cranes his neck to look up to the man. ****  
** **

“I-um… Thank you for l-letting me stay, Sir, b-but I was wondering if you could take me home? I’ve got all my stuff and.. Um… I tried to make my bed.” He stutters through, looking at the man hopefully, ****  
** **

Mr Stark sighs, running a hand over his hair before stepping a little closer to Peter. ****  
** **

“Kid, I told you last night…” ****  
** **

“No. I know that… that Aunt May and Uncle Ben won’t be there b-but someone will come to get me won’t they? The nurse said that a lady would find me a home?”  ****  
** **

He doesn't understand. He knows that his aunt and uncle aren’t coming back, he knows they’re dead - but if he waits at home somebody will come to look after him. A long lost family member, a family friend, or maybe somebody who looks after kids with nowhere else to go. There’s a girl in his class who lives with lots of other kids without families, and they’re all looked after by 2 ladies that they’re not related to. Will he go somewhere like that? If he’s stuck here, in Tony Stark’s penthouse, then nobody will remember that he needs somebody.  ****  
** **

“Mr Stark they’re not gonna know where I am.” He whispers, tears gathering in his eyes, “If I d-don’t go home then they’re not gonna know that I need someone to look after me.” He’s panicking now, breathes coming quick and tears soaking his face. He buries his face in Terrance’s fur, taking comfort in the familiar smell - it smells like home. ****  
** **

~~~ ****  
** **

“Sir, Peter is awake.”  ****  
** **

Jarvis wakes him up. It’s the first time he’s slept in days, yet he feels more tired than he has all week.  ****  
** **

“What’s he doing?” He asks groggily, looking over at the alarm clock on his left. 7:43. This all feels like a dream, he almost wishes the events of the past week _were_ a dream. He’d be a lot happier if none of it had happened. ****  
** **

Thor’s emo brother mind controlling everybody?

Alien invasion?

Falling through a wormhole and almost dying?

Being thrust into this whole parenting thing with a traumatised and grieving 6 -almost 7- year old who doesn't even know he’s his father?  ****  
** **

Yeah, this week can piss off. ****  
** **

If there’s a good thing to come out of this week, it’s the team. Tony’s never been the type to have close friends, to trust people, other than Rhodey, but for some reason he feels close to these 5 people. The most surprising is Steve - the man he despised as a child. When he’d first seen the Star Spangled Asshole, he’d wanted to punch him in his perfect teeth, but after working together, fighting together, Tony feels a small bond beginning to form between them.  ****  
** **

“He’s been staring out of the window for the past 3 minutes. He’s now attempting to dress himself and make his bed.” Jarvis replies, pulling him from his thoughts. ****  
** **

“Time to get up then.” He mumbles. He pulls on a shirt and jogging bottoms, grabbing a hoodie before heading out into the main lounge. This side of the penthouse didn’t sustain too much damage from the battle, which is ideal as it’s his main living space. The other lounge is an area reserved for small entertaining, as well as a cosier space for he and Pepper to spend time, rather than the large open space of the main lounge.  ****  
** **

He hasn’t stepped foot in there yet, but he knows that it’s a mess. The left side of the building took the brunt of Loki and the Chitauri's attack, with most of the windows now smashed. There are workers in already, fixing up the mess, Pepper will have been on the phone as soon as the battle has ended. ****  
** **

Peter is sat on the edge of the sofa, teddy bear cuddled to his chest.  ****  
** **

Locking eyes on his kid, he suddenly feels guilt for wishing Peter hadn’t come back into his life. Sure it’s not ideal - both Tony and Peter are traumatised from the last few days, and Tony has never been fit to be a father, but he’s got no choice now.  ****  
** **

Not a day has gone by that he hasn’t regretted his decision to say no to Mary. The knowledge that he did the right thing always outweighed those feelings of guilt, but there was always a voice in the back of his head asking what life would be like if Peter was in it.  ****  
** **

This may not be ideal timing, or an ideal situation, but he’s finally got what he’s always wanted - a chance to be with his son. And he’s been laying in bed feeling sorry for himself. ****  
** **

“You’re up early.” He says pulling the hoodie over his head, Peter whips his head around to look at him, his eyes not quite meeting Tony’s before dropping down to look at the teddy in his hands. The kid looks nervous, uncomfortable. Tony can't blame him, he feels the same. ****  
** **

Tony walks around to the front of Peter, trying to keep his stance relaxed. All he wants to do is cross his arms. He’s tense, and he doesn't do well in tense situations - his go to stance is arms crossed across the chest, an urge to protect himself making him block the arc reactor - his greatest weakness. He almost laughs when he sees that Peter has inherited that trait - he’s clutching the teddy against his chest, his own childlike version of Tony’s habit. With how much heartbreak the kid’s gone through in his 7 years of life, he can’t blame him for wanting to protect his heart.  ****  
** **

He’s shocked when the kid cranes his head up to look him in the eye. With how nervous he is, Tony thought he’d be counting scuff marks on the floor. He feels an irrational hum of pride run through him, for how brave the kid is being through this whole situation. He has no reason to be proud - he’s had no part in Peter’s upbringing, he’s held no responsibility for the person Peter is becoming, but he can’t help that parental feeling creeping in. ****  
** **

“I-um… Thank you for l-letting me stay, Sir, b-but I was wondering if you could take me home? I’ve got all my stuff and.. Um… I tried to make my bed.”  ****  
** **

Tony sighs, running his hand through his hair before stepping towards the kid. He’s stuttering through the request, eyes lit up with a pained hope.

And Tony’s about to shatter that hope. ****  
** **

“Kid, I told you last night…” He doesn't want to explain to the Kid again that his Aunt and Uncle are dead, that they’re not coming back, but what else is there to do? He can’t take the kid home, and he can't lie to him.  ****  
** **

“No. I know that… that Aunt May and Uncle Ben won’t be there b-but someone will come to get me won’t they? The nurse said that a lady would find me a home?”  ****  
** **

That makes sense. The nurses must’ve told Peter that CPS would put him into a home, then Tony turned up and nobody explained the change in situation to the kid. He supposes that was his responsibility. ****  
** **

He’s not comfortable with kids - they’re too precious, too innocent. Two things which Tony definitely isn't. He’s infamous for ruining everybody he gets close to. Any form of relationship with him is like having a virus running through your body, sucking the energy and happiness out of you, grinding you down. He brings out the worst in people, and he would never do that to a child. ****  
** **

He’s not comfortable with kids, and he's not comfortable with emotional conversations, but that doesn’t matter right now because _his son_ is looking up at him with big brown eyes, the same eyes that stared up at him 7 years earlier, making him question all of his reservations. Eyes that have appeared in almost all of his dreams since the first time he saw them. Eyes that don’t quite trust him, but trust that he’ll make everything better because he’s an adult and that’s what adults do. Tony hasn’t had the chance to look into these eyes a lot, he never thought he’d have the chance again, but he’s going to do everything he can to make those eyes trust him. ****  
** **

“Mr Stark, they’re not gonna know where I am.” Peter whispers, tears are gathering in his eyes, his breathing getting fast, “If I d-don’t go home then they’re not gonna know that I need someone to look after me.” ****  
** **

The kid’s freaking out for the second time in 24 hours, and Tony still doesn’t know what to do, but this time he doesn't just step back and watch. He sits down next to the kid just as he buries his face into his teddy bear. Tony awkwardly reaches out a hand and places it on Peter’s shoulder - the kid leans into his touch, giving Tony the confidence to relax a little. He relaxes his touch, rubbing the kid’s shoulder a little. ****  
** **

“Peter, kid, look at me a second?”  ****  
** **

He looks up, eyes swimming with tears. He’s still clutching the stuffed toy like a lifeline.  ****  
** **

“I’m gonna tell you the full truth right now, okay? I’m going to explain everything because you’re a smart kid and you’re very grown up for your age.”  ****  
** **

Peter wipes his eyes, nodding up at Tony.  ****  
** **

“Sir, why am I here? Why did you come and get me last night?” ****  
** **

“That’s what I’m about to tell you, Kiddo. Some of it won’t make sense until you’re a little older and can think about it more, but I’m giving you all of the information now.” ****  
** **

“O-okay.” He nods, sitting up straight and turning to face Tony. To be honest, Tony’s a little impressed with how quickly the kid has gone from crying into his teddy bear to sat calmly and maturely, ready to listen to everything Tony has to say. ****  
** **

“I knew your mom, before you were born.” He opens with, wondering how to explain to a 6 year old that he had a one night stand with his mother. “We met at a party, she’d fallen out with her boyfriend.. um.. your dad, and needed somebody to talk to about it so we spent the night together. We didn’t see each other after that, until about 10 months later - a month after you’d been born. She came to my house and she bought you with her.” Tony smiles, looking at the kid, remembering how he’d felt when he first laid eyes on him. ****  
** **

“Why?” Peter asks. ****  
** **

“She wanted me to meet you. I held you for a while, you looked up at me, squeezed my finger.” He smiles. “You kept using your tongue to push the pacifier out of your mouth and when I put it back you’d push it out again, like a game.” ****  
** **

“But why did she want you to meet me? If you only met her once why would she want you to meet me?” Peter asks, little face scrunching up in confusion, fingers playing with the ear of his teddy.  ****  
** **

“Okay you’ve got to hear me out here, okay?” _Here goes nothing_ “I’m… I’m your Dad, Peter.” ****  
** **

The kid tilts his head to the side, looking like a confused puppy. Tony feels his heart constrict - he wants to run. The kid doesn’t believe him, doesn’t trust him - doesn’t want him. ****  
** **

“But I already have a Dad.” Peter whispers. Tony can see the cogs turning in his brain as he tries to understand. ****  
** **

“Through blood, I’m your dad. Biologically. Me and your Mom made you-” ****  
** **

“So you and my Mom had sex?” ****  
** **

What does he say to that? The kid isn't even 10, how does he even know about sex at his age?  ****  
** **

Peter’s quick to explain, noting Tony’s expression of shock and speechlessness. ****  
** **

“At school I do science with the higher grades and we learnt how babies are made.” Peter explains. A thread of pride floats through Tony’s chest, that Peter is taking after him as a science whiz. ****  
** **

“Well, um, yeah. Your Mom and I… yeah. But that doesn’t mean Richard wasn’t your Dad, okay? He started looking after you when you were a baby - he loved you, cared for you… even though he’s not related to you through blood he was still your Dad.” ****  
** **

The kid looks away, the cogs in his head working overtime, before he scrambles over onto Tony’s lap, little hands gripping Tony’s arms. Tony was expecting to be questioned, doubted. He was preparing for the kid to shout at him and run away, not give him a hug. ****  
** **

Tony’s not a hugger, but he’s not going to push his kid away. He can recall the few times in his own childhood when he’d hug his father, only to be pushed away harshly, sometimes even falling back onto the ground. So he stopped hugging people. His mother, father, friends and partners. But there’s no way in hell that he’s going to push his son away.  ****  
** **

He reaches his arms out to wrap them around Peter, but the kid wriggles out of his hold, kneeling on Tony’s thighs and placing his hands on Tony’s upper arms.  ****  
** **

“I’m not hugging you.” The kid says, sticking the tip of his tongue out between his teeth in concentration.  ****  
** **

“Oh, um, okay.. What are you…?” ****  
** **

“Open your eyes.” Peter says, resting his casted arm gently against Tony’s forehead. The whole concept of personal space has gone out the window, and Tony starts to wonder whether this is some weird way that kids show affection. Maybe kids don’t hug anymore, maybe they do this instead - whatever _this_ is. “You have brown eyes.” The kid whispers, sounding defeated. He crawls off of Tony’s lap, sitting back on the sofa. The teddy gets picked back up and clutched to his chest again. ****  
** **

“Kid?” He doesn’t know why his eye colour would cause such a reaction. ****  
** **

“We have a picture in the kitchen of me, Mommy and Daddy and they both have blue eyes and I have brown eyes. But we learnt in school that two people with blue eyes cant have a baby with brown eyes, its scientifically impossible.” He releases his tight grip on the stuffed toy and looks up at Tony through his curls. “But you have brown eyes, which means you really are my dad, aren’t you?”   ****  
** **

_Gee, Kid, no need to sound so sad about it. ****  
** **_

“Why did Daddy.. Um, can I still call him...?” ****  
** **

“Yeah, Kid, you can still call him Dad, or Daddy, like I said he was still your Dad even though it wasn’t biological. He loved you.”  ****  
** **

“So, he looked after me because he loved me? And because he loved Mommy?” ****  
** **

“Yeah Kiddo.” ****  
** **

“So why haven’t _you_ looked after me?” _Ouch_. “Don’t you love me?” ****  
** **

Tony sighs, feeling his heart constrict, desperation creeping in around the edges. Peter’s probably too young to understand why Tony wasn’t there, but he _needs_ to tell him. He can’t have his son growing up with the buried belief that his father doesn’t love him. He knows all too well what that can do to a person. ****  
** **

“Peter, I loved- I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything or anyone in my life. When your Mom put you in my arms, I never wanted to let go. I wanted to hold you and protect you for the rest of my life. But I knew what kind of life you’d have if I was in it. You’re probably not gonna understand this right now Peter, but I grew up lonely - my Dad was too busy with the business to spend time with me. I had no friends because I wasn’t allowed to play out with kids my age, reporters followed me everywhere I went with a camera - I didn’t want you to grow up like that. I knew that if I was in your life, you’d grow up like I did.” Peter’s eyes dart to down to his teddy. “Do you know what happened to me last year, Pete?”  ****  
** **

“You… you went missing. Then when you came back you were Iron Man,”  ****  
** **

Tony’s not sure where he wants to go with this. He can’t tell the kid everything that happened to him in Afghanistan, but he can elaborate on the childlike version of events that Peter has. ****  
** **

“I didn’t just go missing, Kiddo. Somebody took me-” ****  
** **

“A bad person?” Peter asks, looking at him with sympathy across his features. ****  
** **

“Yeah, a big group of bad people. And they wouldn’t let me leave. Whilst I was there, they hurt me... and they scared me.” Peter nods up at him, “I thought I was going to die there. And do you know what I was thinking about the whole time I was there?” ****  
** **

Peter shakes his head. ****  
** **

“You.” He answers simply. ****  
** **

“Me?" ****  
** **

“Yep.” He pops the _p_ _,_ trying to suppress the memories, the panic that comes with talking about Afghanistan. “Your Mom and your Aunt used to send me emails pretty regularly, they’d tell me things about you, photos and videos… I kept thinking about what you were doing, how many emails I was missing. And I regretted not being in your life. I kept thinking about how much I’d missed - how I’d never get the chance to see you again, how I’d only ever held you as a baby. All I wanted to do was come back and find you.” ****  
** **

“So why didn’t you?” ****  
** **

“When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how those bad people were still hurting people, so I made the Iron Man suit and decided to help people - but that meant that bad people wanted to hurt me. So even though I desperately wanted to ask your Aunt and Uncle to introduce me to you, I knew that I would be getting you into a dangerous situation, because the bad people could use you to hurt me.” ****  
** **

“Is that what’s gonna happen now? The bad people will look for me?” Peter asks, voice small. ****  
** **

“No.” Tony vows, “They’re not gonna get anywhere near you Peter, you don’t have to worry about that. I’ll do anything and everything to keep you safe. Jesus, I’ll build a new space station for us to live in if I have to. But you’re safe, okay? I’ll always keep you safe.” ****  
** **

“Okay. I... I trust you.” Peter whispers, a small, sad smile flashes across his lips, “We’re not going to space though, right?”  ****  
** **

“No, Kid,” An exhausted laugh breaks through, “We’re not going to space, not yet at least. I’m quite liking Earth at the moment.” ****  
** **

“Yeah me too.” Peter whispers into his teddy. ****  
** **

Tony takes a long breath, running his hand down his face. “I know all of that was a lot, but… do you understand? ****  
** **

“Um…” Peter mumbles, eyes darting from Tony to the floor, “Not really. I kinda understand, but some of it is a bit confusing.” ****  
** **

Tony lets out a laugh, ”Trust me kid, some of it is a _lot_ confusing.” Peter smiles a little at that, although it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Peter, the most important thing you have to understand is that I love you, I’ve loved you since the moment I first held you.” ****  
** **

The kid looks up at him, doubt in his eyes, it soon fades as the kid places his hand on top of Tony’s. ****  
** **

“Don’t worry, Mr Stark, that’s the part that I understand.”

~~~ ** **  
****

“How’d he take it?”  ****  
** **

“Okay. He didn’t completely understand, but he gets the basics.” Tony sighs, taking the cup of coffee that Pepper’s holding out to him, “Thanks.”  ****  
** **

“I’m sure once he’s adjusted he’ll be able to give it some more thought. I mean he hasn’t even known you a day.” Pepper whispers. She’d arrived 20 minutes earlier, about an hour after Peter and Tony had finished talking. She’d sat with Peter for 10 minutes, introducing herself and giving him the gentle and empathetic interaction that Tony couldn’t.  ****  
** **

He’s sat alone now, still cuddling the teddy against him. The TV is playing some animated kids show that Peter isn’t watching. He’s staring out the window, seemingly enthralled by the views of Manhattan. The TV is loud enough, though, that Peter can’t hear what Pepper and Tony are saying as they stand in the kitchen area across the room.  ****  
** **

“After breakfast I’m gonna see if he wants to go to his apartment and get some stuff. I’ll put the furniture and stuff into storage for him to sort through when he’s older, but he can get his clothes, toys things like that.” He says, taking a sip of his coffee, “I know it’s early, but I figured the sooner his stuff is here, and this place begins to feel like home, the sooner he’ll adjust. At least his bedroom will actually feel like it’s his.” ****  
** **

“I think that’s a really good idea, Tony.” Pepper says softly, smiling at him as she leans up against him. “I know you’re scared of this Tony, but I think you’re going to be an amazing dad to him.” ****  
** **

“Yeah?” He asks, heart clenching. “We’ll see.” **  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I know this was super boring but the next chapter should be a bit more interesting. Plus after we've gotten past all of this relationship building we'll finally be at the action! Come chat to me on [tumblr](https://peteypie-stark.tumblr.com/)


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